


Boxed In

by JazzGirl123



Series: ChloNathWeek2K17 [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: ChloeNathWeek2K17, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-11
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-11-12 19:56:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11168970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JazzGirl123/pseuds/JazzGirl123
Summary: Day I: Bickering/Fighting“Are you still in love with Marinette?” She asked, the words bursting out before she could stop herself.Nathanaël reeled back, clearly taken aback. Although, it had more to do with the randomness of the question than the question itself.“I...uh...wha-?” He sputtered.





	Boxed In

“This is all your fault, you know,” spat Chloe.

Nathanaël remained silent, knowing better than to argue with Chloe Bourgeois. It only led to misfortune.

Still, it hadn’t been his fault. The akuma had come out of nowhere and before he knew it, Chloe was shoving him forward and sacrificing him to her latest victim. Unfortunately, _Retaliating Retailer_ had only become angrier at this and shoved both of them in an oversized gift box. 

Wrapped with a ribbon and everything.

“Um….what did you even do?” He finally asked. Yes, that was a safer question than asking if it was really his fault. “She seemed really mad…”

Chloe huffed, moving to cross her arms. When her elbow instead jabbed his ribs and hit the sides of the box, she dropped them.

“ _Nothing_!” She insisted. After a moment, she snapped, “It’s dark in here, but I know you’re giving me a skeptical look and I don’t appreciate it. I’m telling you the truth! 

“Mhm…”

“I _am_. I bought this designer skirt and wanted it wrapped up for Sabrina’s birthday, but the wrapping girl didn’t have any purple ribbons. And purple is one of Sabrina’s favorite colors - it’s one of the few that actually looks decent on her - so when I asked when they’d get more, she blew up at me!”

“Is that really what happened?” Nathanaël asked, doubtful. 

Chloe knew they couldn’t see each other but she looked away from him anyways.

“Well...I may or may not have said some other things,” she admitted reluctantly, making him sigh. “But really, I don’t deserve to be stuck in a cardboard box because of some silly words.”

“You’ve clearly never worked in retail,” he told her. “This is one of the nicest things she could have done to you.”

Chloe shrugged. “In any case, I’m not all that worried. My bestie Ladybug is going to come and save me in no time, and totally get that temperamental akuma.”

Nathanaël couldn’t stop himself from snorting.

“Yeah, that nasty akuma,” he remarked. “Poor, poor Chloe, always so mistreated.”

“I know, right?” She blew a strand of hair away from her face. “I don’t deserve being hunted by so many akumas.”

He rolled his eyes, grateful she couldn’t see. 

“Well, either way, we’re stuck in here,” he said. “So you’re stuck with my bad cologne and paint-stained clothes and mousy voice, or whatever else you’re going to complain about.”

Chloe blinked, not sure what he was talking about. Then she recalled all the snide comments she had said to him in passing over the years. They had always seemed insignificant to her, little truths about someone she couldn’t care less about. 

She didn’t deserve to be harassed by akumas, but looking back...her classmates didn’t deserve the comments she gave them. Most of them, at least.

(You were going to have pry her rivalry with Marinette Dupain-Cheng from her cold, dead hands.)

Speaking of that _she-devil_ …

“Are you still in love with Marinette?” She asked, the words bursting out before she could stop herself. 

Nathanaël reeled back, clearly taken aback. Although, it had more to do with the randomness of the question than the question itself. 

“I...uh...wha-?” He sputtered. 

Embarrassed but unwilling to take back her words, Chloe cleared her throat.

“You heard me. Are you still in love with Marinette? Because I’ll tell you there’s no sense in beating a dead horse.” 

It was no secret, after all, where the other girl’s affections were. Everyone knew, except maybe the target of her affections; that sweet, idiot boy. 

Nathanaël reached up to fiddle with a strand of his hair, and she only knew because his elbow jabbed into her.

“I-”

Whatever he was about to say was cut off by a loud scream and before they knew it, something was shoved into their box, causing it to topple and cartwheel around.

Chloe screamed and latched onto her classmate, her nails digging into his shoulders as she crashed into him. By instinct, he wrapped his arms around her, if only to prevent more awkward tumbling into each other. 

After a few more painful seconds, their box stopped cartwheeling. They let out sighs of relief, which grew louder when the box vanished and they were able to see the swarm of ladybugs circling the sky. 

“See? I knew Ladybug would come rescue me,” she said, unable to keep the smug, haughty tone out of her voice. 

Nathanaël rolled his eyes, turning to her. Only then did he remember that they were still wrapped up in each other, and he quickly let go of her waist. The action caused her to remember her nails were still lodged into his shoulders, and she released him before stepping back.

“Chloe, Chloe! There you are!”

The blonde looked over to see Sabrina, frantic and relieved, running over to them. Humming, she looked back at her fellow box-mate, who was dusting off his clothes and looking for his things.

Well, as much as she had changed for the better, she still wouldn’t _help others_. Not if it didn’t benefit her, at least. 

Instead, she chose to take her compact out and check her appearance; her hairspray didn’t fight against being shoved in a box and shaken like a toddler’s rattle. 

“The answer is no, by the way.”

Chloe, surprised, glanced at the boy beside her. He was crouched down on the ground, picking up the contents of his spilled bag, but his eyes were on her.

“What?”

“The answer to your question? It’s no,” he said, getting to his feet and slinging the bag’s strap over his shoulder. His eyes, as blue as the tropical waters, seemed to pierce into her. “I’m not in love with Marinette - or anyone else.”

Nathanaël took note of Sabrina’s arrival, and seemed to take her fretting over Chloe as his cue to leave. 

“Chloe, Chloe, are you okay?” Sabrina asked worriedly, checking over her best friend for any major injuries. It was pointless, they both knew, since Ladybug’s powers would have healed any scrapes or bruises by now.

“Perfect, of course,” she said absently, her eyes trailing after the artist.

He was completely beneath her, a simple street artist. He was annoyingly passive-aggressive, and she didn’t care for his sloppy appearance. 

But his answer left her feeling light as air, something she was unaccustomed to. And as she turned to finally give Sabrina her attention, one thing to came to mind.

His hands had felt nice on her.


End file.
